3dfx supporters have it made,
theres only one way to get your hands on a Voodoo3, you pick what clock speed you
want, 143 or 166, and buy the respective card, the 2000 or 3000. The 3dfx/STB merger left
many graphics card manufacturers that relied on the sales of 3dfx products out in the cold
as it left them with only one option for a competitive gaming solution, NVIDIA. Luckily
the TNT2 was a success and companies like Diamond and Hercules that are primarily graphics
card manufacturers could enjoy the benefits of a product that gamers wanted. On the
downside, unlike the Voodoo3, you have to deal with many manufacturers making similar TNT2
based products all in competition with each other, leaving you, the consumer, like a fish
out of water when it comes to which board is right for you.

Unlike motherboards, TNT2 based
graphics cards are not as tailored to a particular users needs as manufacturers
would like them to be. The fact of the matter is that most TNT2s are the same, the main
differences being default clock speed, cooling methods, overclocking potential,
drivers/support, and software bundle. The latter is probably one of the least important
factors youll have to take into consideration, as the value of a software bundle is
a very subjective factor in any buying decision involving a video card. Luckily there is a
solution, AnandTech rounded up a handful of the most popular TNT2 based boards, regardless
of clock speed, and used them as both a helpful aid and example of what to look for in a
TNT2 board. With the amount of OEMs out there manufacturing TNT2 based products, a
comparison of every last TNT2 board would be a little overboard, however with a little
extrapolation on the part of you, the consumer, making a buying decision based on the
performance of the boards compared here shouldnt be a difficult task.

Without further ado, lets get
to the roundup

The Flavors

Not unlike your favorite scoop of
ice cream, the TNT2 is available in a few distinct flavors. The most basic distinction
between TNT2 boards is the clock of the chip itself, the NVIDIA definition of the TNT2
states that it should operate at a default clock frequency of 125MHz with a memory clock
of 150MHz. The standard TNT2 is available in two configurations, both clocked at the same
125/150 frequency (core speed/memory speed), the 16MB and 32MB versions. Although there is
a large debate over the benefits of 16MB of local graphics memory on your TNT2 versus
32MB, the answer to the question can be found in the outcome of a similar debate that took
place with the Voodoo2 about a year ago.